Wildchoir
Demographics The Wildchoir is composed of the Cuthaill, Kihai, Hjen, and Endless Spears. Summary Between the Amatl Dreadwaste and the Uncovered Sea stretches the ancient and colossal Venswood, whose denizens are every bit as vicious and lethal as the forest itself. The inhabitants of this harsh, primordial place came to survive their hostile environment in their own distinct ways, but only in combining their strengths did they learn to master it. The Wildchoir takes its name from its only prominent faith, and even that is more akin to a philosophy or tradition than a true religion. The Prophetess Rhania, an otherwise unremarkable Orcish bard, was overcome by some strange insight and sang the Unwritten Verse, an act that took three days to complete, and which claimed her life. For four hundred years since its portents have granted the Choir an enigmatic but curiously accurate insight into events to come. The peoples of the Choir had never been at war in any great sense, the forest was always the bigger threat to each, but it was the Verse that took their loose coalitions and alliances and forged them into a singular will, banded together for survival. The Verse was not endless, however, and its guidance is almost spent. Its last words speak of a coming doom, of the dead walking and the glades of the Choir being consumed by shadow. Scouts of the deep wood already offer grim confirmations of this approaching disaster. Orc, Elf, Halfling, and Human alike whisper that a new prophet may emerge. But ever pragmatic, the Choir has made ready to embark and find a new home, even if it proves more hellish than the one they have lost. Founding Structure Leadership Speakers of the Verse The Choir is ruled by its Speakers, with each one representing a particular group of the Choirfolk. All Speakers held rule over their respective territories but were all subject to the First Speaker’s rulings. First Speakers were chosen from amongst the Speakers, with each group of Choirfolk having one vote. First Speakers were hardly ever necessary, but occasionally a united front under concise leadership was needed. Now that the Choir has lost so much in the past years in their fighting with the undead, only one Speaker is necessary to guide the surviving few. Speakers were chosen by the people who they led through anonymous vote. Being a speaker is more civic duty than it is something that is sought after and revered. Embodying and enacting the message of the Verse is no easy task, and those who openly seek to become Speaker are typically seen as too vain for the role. Other Positions Speakers often appoint positions to those that they see fit at their own discretion. Some Speakers have many deputies while some have very few, there are no guideline or structure and depends on the particular Speaker. Known Leaders of the Wildchoir Speaker Scar - First leader of the Wildchoir in Nebelloren. Political Choosing of the Speakers Speakers are chosen by an anonymous vote. An assembly is called for Choirfolk that the Speaker is representing, each of whom is given an object that they may write on, be it paper, a stone, tree bark, or a piece of broken pottery. Each individual will then vote for two separate individuals who they believe should be Speaker, and the three individuals with the most votes are taken aside. These three would-be-Speakers must then immediately give a speech as to why they would make a good Speaker. These individuals aren’t forced to give their speech, but passing on the opportunity is seen as uncouth and to some mildly heretical; very few individuals have ever not given their speech. It is also frowned upon to deliberately give a bad speech. These speeches have always ranged in topic and scope and their content varies wildly depending on the individual and their constituents. After the speeches are given, another anonymous vote is had with the people choosing between the three and the winner becomes Speaker, with the previous Speaker (if they are still living and cognizant) serving as a tiebreaker. If the previous Speaker is no longer living or otherwise indisposed, the gathering is reconvened every day for another vote until a Speaker is chosen. This chosen individual immediately takes their role as Speaker and serves until he is unable, unwilling, or is forced out of the role. Military The Wildchoir does not have a formal military structure, rather each clade plays their own unique role during wartime. The Kihai make up the bulk of the Choir’s warriors and function as a fearsome defensive force of Gladekeepers that maintain constant vigil around every Choir stronghold, with non-Gladekeeper Kihai function as ranged troops, sending arrows down from the treetops. Overlapping this are the guerrilla tactics of the Endless Spears who follow one simple combat doctrine; strike fast, and strike hard. Not ones for pitched battles are long lengths of combat, the Spears prefer to launch lightning raids and strike when the enemy is at its weakest. Complementing this are the towering Hjen, who use their formidable stature and songs to control the flow of battle - deploying in more traditional formations that function as walls of unshakable steel. Filling the niches are the Cuthaill. Traditionally not enthusiastic about conflict, their stature, coupled with quick wits and feet, meaning that they function well in auxiliary defensive roles as archers, medics, and general support staff. However many Cuthaill contribute to defense by supporting inactive combatants. A greenhorn or veteran will always find a warm welcome in a Cuthaill home or hall. A well-rested and well-fed fighter is a good fighter! Geographical Memories of the Venswood The Venswood is the ancestral home of the Wildchoir, and it was a forest like no other. Firstly, it was enormous, so vast that could take weeks or months to cross it, depending on the selected route and what happens on the way. Second, it was so varied that there are hundreds of words to describe its different parts – from the scattered patches of open aired glades to the shadowed and horrifying heart of the forest, the land where the forest canopy lets no light reach the soil and created what some called the Land of Eternal Night. Thirdly, there are those who persisted in portraying the Venswood as a being, a hungering, striving, and thinking organism. And although such portrayals read as nothing but the tall tales of the Choirfolk they were not ignored. Many souls had often felt like unwelcome intruders in the leafy halls of the Venswood; unwelcome not only by primordial beasts within it but by its vegetation, waters, and its very soil. The enormity of the forest, paired with its diverse vegetation and uncertainty regarding its basic character, made it impossible to produce a distinct and holistic account of its nature. And the task was made even harder when the oldest of the Choirfolk make up tales of ancient evils and slumbering sources of assured destruction, hoping to scare the younger generation from near certain death. The Venswood was unforgiving place, but it was home. The people of the Wildchoir remember it in their own ways, with some moving on to the new world with open minds while others look at its forests and glades and are reminded of what they have lost. Culture Calendar The Wildchoir have lived by the comings and goings of the seasons and have structured their calendar accordingly. The passing seasons have a name and a certain expectation—there's a time to harvest and a time to plant seed, there's a time where game is plentiful and a time where without proper planning food will be scarce. Timeline Category:BW World 4 Category:World Powers